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New fighting broke out along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier early on Wednesday, with each side accusing the opposing side of initiating deadly clashes.

Pakistan's military announced that its troops had eliminated "fifteen to twenty Taliban fighters" and wounded numerous others in the Spin Boldak district frontier area.

A Taliban government spokesman said that twelve non-combatants had been fatally struck and over a hundred injured by Pakistani firing. He added that several Pakistani soldiers had been killed. Not one of the reported fatalities could be verified by third parties.

Hostilities between the neighbouring countries has escalated since blasts rocked Afghanistan last week, which the Afghan capital blamed on Islamabad. The Afghan leadership reject allegations that it is sheltering armed groups aiming at Pakistan.

Social Media and Armed Engagements

The two sides are not only battling for the upper hand on the frontier, but also on social media, attempting to persuade the general population that their side is inflicting more damage.

The latest clashes come after severe cross-border confrontations over the weekend, when the Taliban claimed to have eliminated 58 members of the Pakistani military and Islamabad reported it killed 200 "militants and linked insurgents". The claimed death tolls announced by each side could not be confirmed by external sources.

Several days of unstable calm that had persisted since the recent days were shattered on Wednesday morning.

Local Reports and Consequences

Footage allegedly of the conflict and its aftereffects have been shared on the internet and on social channels, including footage said to be of those killed and blurry shots from low-light cameras purporting to be of check posts demolished. These videos have not been authenticated.

A source in Spin Boldak in Afghanistan reported that clashes broke out at around 4 a.m. local time (23:30 GMT on the previous day). Another resident in Spin Boldak, who lives about a short distance away from the frontier post, said that "very heavy hostilities persisted for almost several hours".

"We observed drones and fighter planes flying over us, some of our relatives are wounded," they added.

A medical professional in one of the medical facilities in Spin Boldak stated that he tallied "seven fatalities and thirty-six wounded brought to the medical center", including men, women and minors.

The circumstances were "tense" and more victims were being transferred to medical care, he noted.

Displacement and Global Reactions

A local authority figure in the area stated that "numerous of families have been displaced since last night due to the heavy fighting". He said they were on "maximum readiness" after a few Taliban posts were targeted by aircraft from Pakistan. He further indicated that they had the remains of two Pakistani military members.

In a distinct overnight clash on the north-western frontier, the Islamabad's forces claimed that twenty-five to thirty Taliban and Pakistani Taliban fighters were "suspected" to have been killed.

The hostilities have prompted appeals for de-escalation from other countries including Beijing and Russia, as well as a suggestion from the American leader that he could step in to broker peace.

On Wednesday, a UN official, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, wrote on X that he was "deeply concerned" by reports of non-combatant deaths and displacement because of the fighting.

"I call on all parties to exercise the utmost caution, safeguard civilians, and follow global regulations," he stated.

Historical Tensions

Islamabad has long accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing the Pakistan Taliban to operate from their territory and fight against the Pakistani administration in an attempt to enforce a rigid Islamic-led system of rule.

The Taliban leadership has consistently denied these allegations.